User blog:Heishiro Maitake/Shiro's Guide to Character Creation!!!
Alright alright alright time to start this… Now! First off the majority of y’all don’t know me but quite a few of you seem to know my characters and RP’s on here or on the other Wikis (-cough- stalkers -cough-). So a sort of introduction is in order I guess -cue epic drumroll- I’m Shiro! Right then, so I’m writing this blog post thingymajigger as a guide to detailed character creation. Now this is a guide to creating characters for stories but even if you’re here simply for the RP experience this guide can help you better portray your character both on their page and during any RP’s that come. Please keep in mind that this is simply my personal process to creating characters and is not some holy doctrine handed down from the Skies written on stone tablets by any stretch of the imagination. This is meant to serve as a way to build characters from the ground up and help the character come alive. So without further ado I’ll launch into this guide of mine… But first a quote Alright! So keep that in mind as you go through this guide. *'Name': This is actually one of the most important factors in a character and is often one of the most overlooked. The name is most likely the first thing that any reader see’s of a character and as such this collection of letters can determine the reader’s entire first impression of a character and is what the reader begins forming their own perceptions and views of the character with. Due to this any character’s name should be given the proper amount of attention and effort. There are two key components of a name, Meaning and Sound/Flow. Each is arguably just as important as the other but in some cases it may be impossible to generate a name that holds both a meaning that symbolizes the character and one that just plain fits the character. In these cases it is best to go with a name that will BURN your character into the mind of the reader, create a name that is purely your character’s and no matter where it’s said it will conjure images of your character and their deeds. For example… The characters Sephiroth, Krillin, Ichigo, and Luffy names can instantly bring these characters to anyone’s mind. If you can’t strike a name that embodies your character’s essence with its meaning and sounds great, go for something UNIQUE. That being said this is often one of the hardest things to do and I often do it last. *Story Purpose: I don’t care WHAT or WHO you’re creating if you can’t give me a reason for why it’s there, if you can’t tell me the PURPOSE that it serves then it shouldn’t be there. No exceptions. In relation to Main Characters the story purpose needs to be even more detailed because that is who the story is going to revolve around. For example let’s say I have a character named Mike (That name breaks the rules of naming by the way, there are WAY too many Mikes) and he’s the main character of my story. What is he going to do? Why are we following during this story? Well let’s say Mike just escaped from the depths of Hell by striking a deal with Satan. Why’d he strike this deal? Well… He was in the lowest reaches of Hell; it doesn’t get any worse than where he was so he wanted to relieve some of his suffering. Ok great, now we have a clear reason for why he does whatever it is he’ll do during the story. So what are we going to be watching during this story? We are going to follow Mike on his “road to redemption” to see just how he plans on relieving his suffering. Bam, there we go. *Alignment: Where does your character lie on the “Moral Compass”? This does not need to be explicitly stated, and actually should be left for the reader to discern themselves from the details within the character’s build, but is a key factor. Maybe she’s an evil bastard that kills everyone she comes across and rapes blind orphans with a rusty lead pipe. Right then that is a Chaotic Evil (also known as being a bitch) and we should be able to figure this out from her article. Is he that oh-so-annoying type that will run 344,643,976 miles just to take a thorn from a puppy’s paw? Will he quickly jump in front of a speeding train to save a butterfly? Not only is this character stupid, they can be categorized as an Unwavering Good. Maybe you’re character is a bit more complicated and they won’t go out of their way to kill anyone but has no issues with slaughtering those who get in their way or killing an opponent? Neutral Evil. Oh I got one… They beat puppies with steaks by day and save the city by night. Confused Neutral. Almost all characters can be pinged somewhere on the Moral Compass. *Persona: A character’s Persona is what… Archetype they fit into. He doesn’t talk much? Has a huge sword and pays no heed to the safety of those around him? Silent Berserker. She can do WHAT with that straw? Just HOW many people did she kill with a teacup? Badass. He laughs maniacally (Heh.. Haha… Hahaha… Bwahahahahahahahahahaha…. Hahahahaha… BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA) and slaughters those around him with a rusty spoon and is bent on gaining still MORE power? Crazed Villain or Manic Powerhouse. This is essentially asking you is your character the Boastful Badass or the Collected Marksman? Once again this shouldn’t be explicitly stated but should become clear after reading their article. *General Disposition: How do they typically portray themselves? Are they normally indifferent and vacant? Cheery and Polite? Maybe Brash and Obnoxious? Or Boastful but Insecure? This can be worked into an article or story with a bit of skill and can add a bit of extra depth to a character, maybe how they show themselves isn’t how they really feel or everything has a reason behind it or maybe they’re just a boastful bastard through and through. *Special Abilities: No this isn’t Bankai, their skill with Ninjutsu, or any other ability that is common in whatever universe the character occupies. This is something that they possess that either no one else does or VERY few (Meaning two or less) can do. Going back to my earlier example of that Mike guy from the depths of Hell… Well he struck a deal with the devil so he had to get some ability right? Something that can let him do whatever errand he’s been sent on by Satan? Hm… Let’s say that he can see innocent souls which he must then reap for the “Dark Lord”. Bam. That tells us what he does and how and can even be the reason for some conflict later on in the story (He finds a soul so pure that even he can’t bring himself to do what he needs to do and this leads to “all hell breaking loose” aka shit gets serious). NOTE: Every character does NOT need to have a special ability and if they do it should be explained in detail. “She blows stuff up” = NO. “She can create explosions that range from massive forces of devastation to precise strikes by rapidly lowering and raising the air pressure in a given area resulting in an fireless explosion that caused by the sudden inflow of air” = YES *Education/Intelligence: This is a factor that plays into EVERYTHING the character does, no F student is going to give a PhD level lecture on Quantum Physics, and if done correctly will lead to a more realistic character. Now Education and Intelligence are separated here for two reasons… One: Every Universe doesn’t necessarily have an education system. And… Two: Just because they’ve gone to college doesn’t mean they’re intelligent. One’s level of education isn’t necessarily an accurate indicator of their intelligence. So maybe they have never attended anything above Highschool or the base level academy or whatever but their intelligence allows them to quickly catch on to what goes around them and hence they learn at an impressive rate. Or maybe you have someone who has a PhD but their own accomplishments in education have led them to believe they are above anyone else teaching them and hence their level of intelligence will be LOW. *Family: Not exactly a mandatory section but this can obviously be a determining factor in how your character behaves. A character with a loving spouse and 4 kids isn’t as likely to be reckless as a character with no family ties. This can add any number of elements in a story from the large powerful family that has shunned the character to the family that dictates everything the character is allowed to do or the family that wants the character dead due to some ominous prophecy. *Aspiration(s): Absolutely a mandatory section for EVERY character no matter their role in the story. What do they want to do? What is their “End Goal”? This is absolutely a determining factor in how the character behaves since this will almost always be on the character’s mind and is likely to be the reason behind many of their actions. Going back to my Mike example from earlier his aspirations may be to make his eventual suffering a bit less than it would have been which is what drives him to hold his end of the bargain with Satan. *Addiction(s): Not a mandatory section but can make a character a lot more lifelike if they have addictions and cravings just like people do. Not only can this be a determining factor in their actions it can also provide a bit of comic relief or drive the story down a darker path depending on how it’s spun. Mike? Yeah he’s addicted to gambling, absolutely loved Blackjack and the Craps table. *Occupation and Attitude towards it: Characters don't exactly NEED an occupation, but if they DO have one it can provide for a bit more detail in the story as well as possible conflicts down the road. Not to mention that Occupations have the potential to make stories more interesting. Would you rather read a story about a kitten? Or a Kitten that is a Super Ninja Assassin for some Secret Government Agency (Also known as SGA) that has ties with Penguins across the globe? Yeah, I thought so. *Objective(s): Must have. You can’t have a story without objectives. This section differs slightly from Aspiration(s) in that this is what the character will do in order to accomplish his “End Goal” (aka aspiration). This can be anything from getting the “Holy Grail” to paying the rent on time but either way this should be somewhat clear in the story unless you’re going for the mysterious character type. Mike has to kill innocent souls and deliver them to the “Dark Lord” in order to make his eventual suffering a bit less. You should be able to work your character’s Objective(s) together with their Aspiration(s) to form a sentence that makes sense. (_____ has to ____, _____, and _____ in order to _______) *What does this character want?: Again slightly different from Objective(s) and Aspiration(s) and in truth it can be completely unrelated. This section is what the character TRULY wants above all else. Let’s say you have a character that plans on becoming Ruler of whatever country or land. That is their Aspiration. In order to become the Ruler they must kill not only the current Ruler but also those associated with his rule but before all that they have to find a way to get to the Ruler and train to become strong enough to defeat them. Those are their Objectives. What they WANT might be recognition, it might be power, it might be to be left alone, or hell it might even be to just have their mother not constantly telling them what to do. *Who or what does this character love?: Unless you’re creating the emotionless robot “I feel nothing” type badass then your character must love someone or something. Whether it’s the girl/guy next door, the sword that has been passed down in their family for centuries, or strawberries they have to love SOMETHING or SOMEONE or BOTH. There is literally a plethora of storylines and events/conflicts that can stem from a character’s love of something or someone. And it doesn’t have to be all Sissified “I wuv my Mommy” either, it can be a character’s love for battle that drives them to seek/attract ever stronger opponents and save the world from them on a regular basis (Can you say Goku?) *What is he/she/it afraid of?: Your character MUST have some sort of fear regardless of how ridiculous it may be. NO character doesn’t fear ANYTHING at all unless they are a preprogrammed Android or robot that is unable to learn or adapt to its environment in which case that character won’t be around for very long. Unless your character is said robot/android that will be killed off soon they MUST have a fear, not only is fear a major driving factor it can also provide for comic relief and a deeper storyline altogether. Is your character an Epic Badass who defeats everything and everyone who comes their way with ease? Then they likely fear becoming weak/losing whatever it is that allows them to maintain such a high level of badassery. Besides… A character is MORE of a badass if they are able to fight on DESPITE their fear than those who simply don’t have any. Replace brave with badass and you get my point. *Why does he/she/it involve himself/herself/itself in this situation?: This is for stories only but this is a REQUIREMENT. Why the hell are they involved in this in the first place? If you are unable to come up with ANY reason as to why they’re in the current situation then they simply shouldn’t be in it. That’s the way that cookie crumbles. Why is Goku fighting Vegeta? Because they’re rivals. Why is Luffy whooping ass everywhere he goes? Because he wants to be the King of Pirates. Why aren’t Ichigo and Rukia together yet? Because Kubo is an asshole :D *Other Roles and Identities: By no means is this a mandatory section, but this can add that extra layer of complexity to an already mysterious character and can be downright funny in some cases. In addition to that, any aliases or nicknames (Can’t think of the word I’m looking for DX) go here. *Single Adjective to describe this character: The vast majority of characters are able to be summed up into a single adjective, what is the “Essence” of your character? If you take into account EVERYTHING about them, what is it that comes to mind? “Well I can’t do that” you say “My character is much too complex and detailed for that” you say “He has 15 jobs and an equal amount of identities, he’s a Shinigami-visored-quincy-human-ninja-robot-panda hybrid” You say. Yeah? Convoluted. Bam single adjective. *Skills: No this isn’t “My character can spam Getsuga Tenshou to no end :D”, this is to explain what exceptional skills your character possesses that AREN’T along the line of superpowers or special abilities. Expert marksman, Weapons Master, Martial Artist, Superstar Quarterback. All of these fall under your character’s skills. *Reports/Answers to?: Self-explanatory, is there anyone who’s “ranked” above your character? Do they have to answer back to an individual or an organization? Not a mandatory section. *Who reports to this character?: The inverse of the above section. Is your character the “Top Dog”? Does she have innumerable underlings that she forces to wear penguin suits? Detail that here. Once again not a mandatory section *Trademark Object: Does your character have that single thing that if left behind or mentioned on a page would instantly make them leap into the reader’s mind? That is what this is meant to be. This can be anything from a lucky charm that is constantly worn to the Sword of Ragnarok, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s something that can represent that character if it stands alone. This can often, and arguably, should have some meaning outside of just being an accessory or a weapon in order to give it an added element of significance. This is by no means absolutely necessary but is a nice touch. *Common Emotions: What does the character typically feel? This is different than General Disposition in that it is what the character TRULY feels while disposition is what they outwardly show, I typically find it best to pick three common emotions that they may feel. Exhausted, sad, mischievousness, hatred, love, etc. *Signature move or “tic”: No Kamehamehas, Getsuga Tenshous, or Rasengans here. This isn’t an attack but something they commonly do that if a reader saw it on the page they would instantly recognize it as belonging to the character. Do they flick their wrists, pop their knuckles, and crack their necks before a battle? Maybe they have a unique gesture or movement they do or, in the case of “tics”, something that they unknowingly do. Do they shift from foot to foot when they get nervous? Tug their hair a bit when they think? Maybe they have a tendency to stammer a bit when angry. For example, let’s give Mike a “tic”…. Maybe he bunches up his shoulders a bit when he walks, like he’s ashamed and wants to escape from his own skin. These things can display elements of the character’s personality that are difficult to put into words or express certain things you simply don’t feel like writing out. For example if a character of does a certain gesture or averts their eyes when they're lying you can input this action instead of typing out “he was lying” and it can serve to show how well another character knows them if they're able to pick up on this “tic” of theirs. *Nationality: Kinda obvious but this is simply where they’re from, what’s their origin? This doesn’t necessarily need to be a country like Japan or anything and can be Nations or Empires in whatever story your Universe occupies. *Ethnicity: Depending on the universe your story is in this may or may not be significant and should be replaced by Race when things of the mystical nature are involved. Can also be replaced by skin color. Yea I want you to tell me instead of just showing me a picture, “golden brown skin akin to skillfully polished bronze” is worth a lot more to me than a picture showing me. *Religion: This isn’t mandatory in the least but one’s religious beliefs can definitely be a major determining factor when it comes to their actions and interactions with others, it’s worth giving at least a bit of attention. *Sexual Preference: Yep this is important. While it’s unlikely anyone would fantasize about your character… Unless their name is Isamu Yamanaka or Itachi… The things I would… Right we do appear to be having a few technical difficulties; my keyboard would appear to be typing things on its own… Yeah that’s it. As I was saying while it’s unlikely that anyone is going to fantasize about your character it is rather important to have their sexuality be stated. While you personally may be uncomfortable with LGBT people/characters (In which case you shouldn’t be reading this blog, flee in terror as I am proudly bisexual) it is not only extremely unrealistic to have an entire story go by without a single LGBT individual showing up within the midst it is rather boring as well. A bunch of straight people does not an interesting story make. *Favorite Food: This is a rather simple factor that can hold a bit of deeper significance if it’s taken in that direction. Otherwise it’s just that, their favorite food. *How does this character typically dress?: Le gasp! I want you to tell me their taste in clothing as opposed to simply showing a picture or describing a single outfit because in all honesty unless they’re one dirty bastard or they live in extreme poverty they are damn near guaranteed to have more than one outfit they wear. *Accent: Obviously this isn’t a necessary section but can be a nice touch if done correctly, simply describe the way your character sounds. This helps the character “come to life” from the page and as such is always a nice detail to include. It doesn’t have to be simply southern or English or anything like that, you can go deeper. Maybe their words have a strange undertone to them that makes it rather hard to place but definitely makes their voice stand out in the crowd. At least one character should have an accent in a story as it is highly unlikely that all the characters were raised in the exact same area by parents that sound just as bland as anyone else. *Dialogue “Tics”: Is there anything that makes the character’s choice of words and use of said words that makes their dialogue particularly interesting or different? Do they use idioms from a distant era? Do they use inverted syntax (Yoda Speak)? Obviously isn’t necessary but as everyone has a different way of speaking, it should be included. *Locations where this character is likely to “blend in”?: Where is it that this character appears to belong? Can they blend flawlessly into a dojo? Maybe they would fit perfectly on a farm? In a strip club? A big city setting? This can help convey the “feel” if the character by telling the reader where it is they would best fit into. *Where was this character born?: Not necessarily important but can serve as a path to the “Revelation” type story where they discover their roots and find that they way they live now goes against everything the people of their birthplace do etc. *Where has this character been?: Absolutely an important factor. A well-traveled person is not likely to behave or even think in the same manner as someone who’s never been outside their town. Important but not mandatory *Where does the character live?: Are they in the cusp of poverty? A “Cream of the Crop” type Mansion? Somewhere in-between? Where they are can be just as much of a determining factor when it comes to their actions as where they’ve been or plan on going. *Where will (or did) he/she/it die and how?: A rather interesting section that isn’t necessary but it can help when you must “kill off” a character in addition to serving as a plot piece (Maybe they have visions of their death to come but only in bits in pieces?) *Objects the character wears on his/her/it’s body: This is the section for Jewelry, tattoos, etc. This helps solidify the character’s appearance and can help bring them to life by expressing bits of their personality in what they have on their body. Can be useful or simply a description, depends on the way it’s spun. *Dichotomy of the Character: Ahhhh, the Inner Struggle. If they’re a main character, this is a must have. What is their inner conflict? Is this a literal conflict or simply metaphorical? Split personalities? Polar opposites living within a single vessel? Tell us about it, the forces of the outside world shouldn’t be the only conflict in a story. *Character reaction to different events: This is a story only section that is meant to help lay out changes in the character and can be used to mold dynamic characters. How the character reacts is just as important as the event itself, do their reactions change over time? Are they horrified by murders in the beginning of the tale but numb to them by the end? This section is not only mandatory it is extremely important. *Relation to other significant characters: Again a story only section. What’s their relation to the other Main/Important characters in the story? This does not only mean romantic relationships and can very well simply be “Childhood Friends” or “Errand Boy to Satan” things like this can be pivot points in the story when it comes to significant events. *What I’d think if I saw the character on the street: A rather fun section that can be used to gauge the reactions of other characters in the story, what exactly would you feel/think if you ran into them on the street? Personally, I’d probably rape err..... pass the fuck out if Sephiroth strolled past me on the street. *What was the character doing before the story began?: Unless this story documents their life from the very beginning they character HAD to be doing SOMETHING before the story started up, what they’ve done is as very important factor in how the character is perceived and how they behave. *Has the character lost their virginity? If so how?: No I’m not messing with you, this can be important or this can simply be a nice bit of trivia. Again it can affect how the character is perceived and may be a factor in how they behave. Can be rather funny in other cases (Badass Villain who’s never gotten any?) but in all honesty the level of “innocence” that the character still possesses is rather important. *Morality: This is similar but different from Alignment in that it can determine the way they react to the actions of others in addition to determining their own actions. Is the character a moral Temple and holds fast to what he/she believes in? That is extremely important when it comes to storyline. *Emotional/Mental Stability: Just how sane is your character? Not only does this determine how they behave it also determines how others react to them. This is absolutely mandatory, very few things are more important than how soundly the character’s head is screwed on. *What do they do to comfort themselves?: When faced with adversity and stress what is it that they do to make themselves fell better? Do they train? Eat? Sleep? Or do they drown out all other emotions in rage? Mandatory unless your character is an emotionless robot that needs no comforting. *Phobias: The most extreme form of fear, does your character have a fear that they would do anything to avoid? Something that can cripple them if they’re made to face it unprepared? Things like Heights, Snakes, Spiders, etc. aren’t the only phobias. You don’t need the fancy word to describe it so it can be anything, maybe they’re deadly afraid of being absolutely alone. *Vanities: This is sort of hard to explain… Is your character effortlessly composed and always manages to look like a movie star even in the direst of situations? Then that is their vanity. If they’re always calm, cool, and collected then that’s their vanity…. Can’t think of how else to explain it. *Tagline: “Believe it!”, “…Ebi”, and “Hm!” are all catchphrases or taglines from various characters (Naruto, Cancer from Fairy Tail, and Deidara to be precise). Does your character have a favorite one-liner or phrase? Tell us about it, hm! *Epitaph: If the character was to die, what would their tombstone say? Kind of a fun section, not mandatory by any means. CHALLENGE!! Think of an Epitaph for Sephiroth! *Impressionistic Age and Health: How old do you think they are at first glance? Do they strike you as being at the peak of health or downright sickly? This shouldn’t be explicitly stated but it helps when it comes to the Appearance section of your character. *Impressionistic Height: Are they 5 foot nothing but carry themselves like they’re 8 feet tall? Do they seem as though they’re taller or shorter than they really are? Once again, shouldn’t be explicitly stated but it helps when telling how the character carries themselves and when it comes to the appearance section. *Impressionistic Weight: Dude… Same as the last two :D *Body Type: Ok so cool you can tell me what they weigh, but what’s their body like? Are they toned and delicious… Er athletic? Or are the sorta fluffy? This not only plays a part in their appearance it can also determine their actions during a bout, fat guys don't bend and perform feats of amazing flexibility. *Hairline and Hair color: Don’t just tell me what color their hair is, tell me how thick it is, how long it is, do they have a full head of hair or is their hairline receding, do they have a widow’s peak (Think Vegeta’s hairline) or a cowlick (Opposite of vegeta’s hairline). Helps deliver a more in depth description of their appearance and we all know how important anime hair is. *Eye Color and Shape: Do they have almond shaped eyes? Sort of pinched eyes? Wide-full eyes? This is just as important as the actual color of the eyes. *Facial Hair: Just that, is their face hairy or no? If so what style is it kept in? Alright!!!! So that concludes Shiro’s Guide to Character Creation!!! It was rather long and detailed but I hope some of you stuck with it and at least skimmed to catch the main points within each bullet/section. So yeah! Leave comments and stuff to tell me what you think and if you found it helpful or not. This is by no means meant to create every aspect of the character but this should help you make them more lifelike and essentially “better”, of course this leaves gaps to be filled in (back story, personality, etc.) but these tend to come easier if you’re able to fill in every point in this guide. Welp, Ciao! Hope this helps someone :D Category:Blog posts